Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 minutes
Serving : 4-6 members
Description
My earliest food memory is fresh home made Cooked jeeraga kanji made over a firewood stove top in huge batches at my grand mothers house ( dads mom) in coimbatore during the holy month of Ramadan. We kids were never allowed to the back yard as the fire wood would be burning in high flames. The kanji would borrow the smokiness from the fire wood stove top imparting a subtle aromatic flavour. some how the food always tasted better then. The kanji would be distributed to my aunts homes and served to all of us while breaking out fast with my uncles,cousins and aunts. I still remember getting things on the table in bits and pieces… Not enough for sure. With in a fraction of a second a million things would be going on in the table. We cousins would discuss about that as our bed time story before going to sleep. I did try making this kanji over the firewood stove top wanting to relish the by gone taste of the dish. But failed for sure. I guess the magic was in my grand mothers hands scoring high on flavours and there sure is some thing therapeutic about her comfort food. Till date I have not enjoyed an ifthar like that as it was such a refreshing wonderful way to round off and end a celebratory meal… Delicious, satisfying and soulful food made with loads of love.
Ingredients
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Jeeraga sala / samba rice | 1 cup |
| Moong dal | 1/2 cup |
| Small onion | 6 whole |
| Garlic flakes | 4 whole |
| Green chillies | 3 |
| Grated Coconut | 1/2 cup |
| Cumin seeds | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Ghee | 1 tablespoon |
| Cinnamon | 1 inch piece |
| Cloves | 1 |
| Cardamom | 1 |
| Big onion | 1 chopped |
| Ginger paste | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Mint leaves | 8 |
| Coriander leaves | 1 tablespoon chopped |
Method
- Dry roast the moong dal lightly until a good aroma arises, making sure not to burn as well.
- Pressure cook washed rice, moong dal, garlic, small onion, green chilies with five cups of water for five whistles.
- Heat one teaspoon oil and fry the grated coconut and cumin seeds to a deep golden color. Cool and grind to a Coarse paste.
- Mix the ground coconut paste to the boiled rice and mix well. Adding more warm water if needed to get a semi thick pouring consistency liquid. Bring to boil adding salt to taste. Check seasoning.
- Heat ghee, add cinnamon, clove and cardamom. Once they crackle add chopped onions and fry to translucent. Top with ginger paste and fry to crisp. Pour over the kanji. Mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and mint leaves. Serve warm with paruppu vadai and chicken or mutton samosa.
